The Airport
by Sophie The Shipper
Summary: AU 'Stuck in an airport because their flight was very delayed and it's like 3 am'. Penny is bored and finds a bored Leonard and starts talking. What can happen that might change their lifes forever?
1. Meeting

**Disclaimer** : I don't own The Big Bang Theory or the characters. I also don't won the prompt used, found it on Tumblr.

* * *

 _Stuck in an airport because their flight was very delayed and it's like 3 am_

"So where are you flying to?" Penny asks. She wouldn't be talking to this complete stranger she has been secretly staring at for hours if she wasn't bored and tired. She has been stuck in that stupid airport for too long and it was honestly making her go insane. So insane she was talking to a stranger.

"California." Leonard answers. He was surprised to see that girl try to make conversation with him. She was gorgeous, so much that he could barely maintain eye contact, and he was a nerd. Those weren't the kind of people that usually mix. But when you are stuck in an airport for so long, and it's almost four am and you have no idea when you are getting a plane to get you home, desperate times call for desperate measures. In this case, talking to a stranger was the desperate measures.

"Really? So am I!" Penny says, surprised.

"What are you going to do at California?" Leonard asks, closing the book he was reading in his backpack.

"I'm going to become an actress." She answers, smiling. "What about you?"

"I live there."

"Seriously? You live in California. What the heck are you doing here in Nebraska?"

"I came to give a lecture."

"A lecture? On what?"

"It's a boring subject, even to me!" Leonard answers, laughing a little bit.

 _He has a nice laugh._

"So, what do you do back in California?"

"I work at Caltech." Leonard sees her questioning face. "It's a university. I'm a physicist. But I don't want to bore you with work. What are _you_ doing here in Nebraska?"

"Actually, I was born and raised in Nebraska!" Penny says, proudly.

"I myself am from New Jersey."

"Really? Is it like they show on TV?"

"Kind of. That's why I left."

"What's your name?"

"I'm Dr. Leonard Hofstadter. You?"

"I'm Penny. Are you as bored here as I am?"

"If you're so bored that you read the same book three times since you sat in this chair, than yes."

 _He is funny._

Penny laughs.

"Want to get something to eat? I'm a little hungry."

"Sure. Why not?"

They grabbed their stuff and walked around that airport searching for a place to grab a meal. They would casually point to people that were in their pajamas, or with t-shirt and shorts while others were wearing big jackets as if they were in the North Pole.

They joked that it was interesting to go to the airport because there all kind of people doing things like sleeping at the middle of the afternoon – not the case at the hours they were at – and people having a meal at five am – like in their case.

They stopped in a place that sold pizza – always a nice thing to eat at that time of the day.

After Leonard asked a slice of pizza without cheese, Penny had to ask.

"Why without cheese? You don't like cheese? It's probably one of the best ingredients. I love when the cheese makes little strings." Penny blushed. "Sorry, I was rambling!"

"It's okay." Leonard said. He was actually loving the way she was talking about something she liked. _Great I like her now!_ "I'm lactose intolerant, I can't have cheese"

"What happens if you do?" Penny's curiosity made her ask.

"Gas." Leonard answers, lowering his head and taking his soda.

"Really?" Penny asks, chuckling.

Leonard decided to play with the situation. "It's so bad sometimes, that my roommate makes me sleep on the roof." He says, smiling. He then remembers the first day it happened, Sheldon's face of despair, and chuckles.

"So, you have a roommate? How is he?"

"Well, he's crazy." Leonard says, and Penny laughs. "No, seriously, he's crazy. He has a bathroom schedule that he makes me follow, he eats the same things every day of the week, like pizza every Thursday, he has specific pajamas for each day of the week and he even has a spot on the couch and doesn't let _anyone_ sit on it!"

"Why are you still living with him?" Penny asks, a little shocked.

"I don't know. I mean craziness aside, he's actually a great friend." Leonard says, smiling. "What about you, do you have a roommate?"

"No. It's actually the first time I'm living on my own. I was supposed to go live with my boyfriend but we broke up last week. I decided to come anyway to live my dream. Am I stupid to want to do this?"

"I don't think you are stupid for following your dreams. I think you're brave for doing it."

"Thanks!"

"Passengers from flight 371 from Nebraska Airport to Los Angeles are being called to their doors." The voice on the mics is heard.

"Well, I have to go." Leonard says.

"I'm going in this flight too!" They both excitedly go to the door to take off, finally leaving that miserable airport they had been stuck at for so long.

They race to the doors. After all the formalities are done, they enter the plane. As they are finding their seats, fate happened. They were sitting together.

They went and started talking until the flight attendant told everyone through the microphone to fasten their seatbelts. In that moment Penny panicked a little bit since that meant that the plane was taking off.

She grabbed Leonard's hand tightly, and told him not to make a big deal about it. The plane started to take off and the grip on her hand was getting tighter and tighter.

"This is the first time you fly isn't it?" Leonard asks. She could only nod.

Somehow Leonard overcame all his issues and changed the hand she was holding with the other and used it to put it around her. She got closer to him until the plane was completely on air, and that was when Leonard thought she would get away from him. He was wrong. She stood there for a long time, even after the flight attendant said they could walk freely.

After almost an hour in that position - and Leonard's arm being so numb that he could hardly feel it – she moved.

Leonard looked at her and smiled – awkwardly.

She smiles back and takes back a magazine from her purse. She enjoyed his arm, and she was actually thinking she might have started to fall for that stranger she met in the airport.

 _I might be falling for this guy._

Leonard excuses himself to go to the bathroom and Penny looks to the bathroom door lock. She gets up and quickly runs to the bathroom. Thinking she would never see that man ever again, she takes the chance. She waits outside the bathroom and as soon as he opened the door, she pushed him back to it.

When the both of them leave, they are both with blushed cheeks are messed up hair, and their clothes are wrinkled.

They go back to their seats trying not to get any looks from the other passengers, but they all have their _we know what you guys just did_ faces.

The enjoyed holding hands and a little chit chat the rest of the flight, trying not to talk about what just happened.

 _I am actually adoring this man every second that passes._

They leave the plane three hours after they landed, and as it happened when they took off, Penny held Leonard's hand tightly, he got his arm around her and she smelled his cologne.

 _He smells so good._

They entered the place to get their luggage and as soon as they both had their luggage, they both headed down to get a cab.

"Hey, want to split a cab?" Leonard asked.

 _Sure, anything to get close to you._

"Sure, but I don't know where you're going to."

"It's okay. I'll go with you. You might need help with the luggage."

"Okay then."

They both entered a cab, and fate once again brought them together. First Leonard went next to her in the backseat instead of going on the front, and then the greatest thing happened.

"Los Robles Street, please." Penny tells the driver.

"Wait, really?" Penny nods. "I live in that street!" Leonard says.

On the cab they start talking a little more and Penny discovers that Leonard's entire family – minus his brother – have PhD's. Leonard finds out that Penny has a pet pig named Moon dance.

As the cab stopped, Penny and Leonard unloaded their stuff and headed to the building they both lived in – coincidence? Probably yes.

After a talk with the landlord, they took everything upstairs where people with muscles – and also boxes – where in her apartment.

After making sure she was settled, Leonard turned around to leave.

"Wait! How will I know how to find you?" Penny asked, sad to see him leave.

"Actually, it's pretty easy." Penny looked at him, questionable. "Just knock on the door in front of you, there's where I live."

"You live across the hall from me?" Penny asks, happy.

"Yes, I do."

Giddily, Penny jumps and hugs him. She looks at him in the eyes and kisses him, again. This time, she took her time.

 _He might have pretty eyes, but he has better lips._

Howard and Raj, that were going to enter apartment 4A, stopped when they saw a pretty girl talking to Leonard. They ended up dropping the bags with food they were holding when she kissed him.

Sheldon, hearing the noise, comes outside, to find the new neighbor hugging his roommate – that was twenty shades of redder than usual - , his dinner on the ground, and two boys awkwardly drooling over the new neighbor

"I have to say Leonard, I'm disappointed." With that Sheldon closes the door.

Ignoring the two man drooling over her, she asks Leonard. "Who's he?"

"My roommate." He answers, sighing. She points to them, discretely. "My friends" He says, closing the door.

"They're a little weird, aren't they?"

"A little? Sure, a little seems close to how weird they are. I'm a little weird myself." He says, honestly.

"No, you aren't."

"I kind of am."

"You're a nerd?"

"I'm the Kind of Nerds!" Leonard says, proudly.

She laughs.

* * *

 **End of Chapter 1**

Okay, this started as a One-Shot, but I decided to turn it into a story – it's over I just need to edit a little bit. You know, polish it.

I liked the AU prompt, needed desperately to take the idea of my head so that I could keep working on my other stories. Now that that's out of my mind, I'll focus on the rest!

The italic phrases they are Penny's thoughts on Leonard throughout their conversations. And I messed the Pilot episode completely! I know, I'm not sorry! Anyway, Sheldon was in their apartment waiting for Leonard to come and for Howard and Raj to bring the food over. I think that's pretty much it. And also, hope Leonard wasn't very OOC, if he was please let me know.


	2. Las Vegas

**Disclaimer** : I don't own The Big Bang Theory or the characters. Also, I don't own the prompt I used ot start this story, I found it on Tumblr.

* * *

When the guys – who she was somehow ready to call friends – told her they were going to Las Vegas, she was thinking about casinos and drinking until she passed out. She was not thinking (at all) about a convention on super heroes.

So she now stuck between a character with gigantic ears and another who had a boner – that was probably not from his costume.

So she, disgusted, got up and went to her friends.

 _There, I called them friends. And boyfriend, of course._

She smiled. After a month she was ready to be his girlfriend. They ended up going on a date, talked forever. She loved his company, he loved hers. They were comfortable with each other, and that was something she didn't have with everyone. And, more importantly, they both supported each other's careers. The first audition she had – she didn't get the part – he helped her with the lines – that were like three. She would hear him talk about his work, even went to his office and saw some amazing stuff he explained her about, making her regret not following that career path – until he started using numbers, then she stopped regretting.

But there she was, with someone that wasn't just a stranger she met at the airport anymore, but was her boyfriend.

He noticed she looked bored and, _weird_ , so was he. So, he went to her.

"Hey, want to leave?"

"No! You like this kind of stuff, I can stay!"

"Want to get super drunk and talk about weird stuff we won't remember the next day?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed, happily grabbing his hand and leaving that weird place.

They found a bar, entered and eventually the conversation got weird, like Leonard told her it would. They were so drunk, they even said something they – Penny – would probably not say as a sober human being. But at that point they weren't Leonard and Penny. They were two completely different people.

"Does my makeup look okay?" Penny asks, worried.

"Of course not… come closer let me take off your lipstick!" Leonard says, giggling. They make out, in the bar until Penny stops to say something.

"I love you." Penny says, smiling. Leonard smiles back, a drunk smile but a smile nonetheless. "You know what? YOU are my soulmate. Like, I just freaking love you so much."

"I love you more! You are so perfect and beautiful, and the only thing more beautiful than your heart is your smoking bod."

"YOU have a smoking bod! Seriously, if only I didn't have this boyfriend that I love I would totally do you!"

"Yeah, forget every stupid douche you've ever been with. I'm the one for you!"

After a couple more drinks – and weird conversations like that – they were both expelled from the bar.

After a few _what are we doing next?_ It hits Penny.

"We should totally get married!"

They both run, trying to find a chapel to get married in.

* * *

Later, Sheldon, Howard and Raj find them both passed out in a park bench, holding hands. Howard is the first to notice.

"Dude, they're married!" Howard said, surprised.

"No way." Raj said, wondering how it's possible for them to be married _to each other._

"No, look for yourself." And there they were. Two rings on both of their left hands. "I know, how is it possible?" Howard questions, as Raj looks at him with a questioning look on his face.

Suddenly, they notice Leonard and Penny stirring, and looking around – and feeling the side effects from drinking alcohol.

"What's going on?" Leonard asks, and immediately puts his hand on his head, feeling the headache coming.

"You got married!" Sheldon answers.

 _What?!_

 _Sure, let's not tell them slowly and calmly. Full on! Great idea Sheldon._ Howard and Raj think.

"What are you talking about?" Penny asks.

"Look at your fingers. Don't you remember?"

Leonard and Penny both look at their hands and then to each other. None remember how it happened.

* * *

Back in her hotel room, Penny keeps walking from one side to another, constantly looking at the ring in her finger without knowing what to do or say to Leonard.

On the one hand, she felt comfortable around him and safe, unlike the way she felt with other guys before. She could talk to him about anything and he would support her. She could imagine getting married to him in the future. She could imagine them both at a old age, falling asleep and taking care of their grandkids together. She imagined having a family with him, in a way she never imagined with any other guy she dated.

On the other hand, they were dating for such a small amount of time – one and a half months.

But that was the only con among the gigantic amount of pros. Maybe this marriage thing with Leonard wasn't that bad. Or was it?

She decided that maybe she should talk to Leonard about it, hear his side of the story.

Grabbing her coat and purse, she leaves her hotel room and heads to Leonard's hoping to make things a little clearer in her head. At least it was the first time in her family someone got married without being pregnant.

Smiling at that thought, she knocks on Leonard's door hoping he was in the same page she was. She finally made her decision.

 _I want to be happy. And I think he might be the answer for that._

* * *

Back in his hotel room, Leonard hears a knock on his door. He was hoping that the person knocking was Penny.

He wanted to tell her he didn't want to get a divorce, he didn't regret getting married with her – somewhat slave of the drink.

He knew she was afraid of commitment, and he did _not_ know how to tell his mother he got married to a girl he basically just met, but at least his father would be happy about that particular news. His brother and sister would probably not enjoy it very much but would be happy for him. Yeah, his mother was his biggest problem.

As Leonard opened the door, thought of little kids running around him with Penny smiling behind him came to his head, so the first thing Penny sees when she sees him is a smile on his face.

 _God, I love that smile._

He lets her in, not in the same way she was ready to do to him, and she was actually allowing some in to her heart, someone that could potentially hurt very much.

"Look, I like you, a lot." Penny starts as they both sit on the bed. "You know what, no. I don't _like_ you. I love you. And I can't honestly imagine my life without you. I don't care if you think this was a mistake. If you want to get a divorce I understand. But I want to try. Because I'm not someone that just opens up to someone like I did with you. I feel safe and happy when I'm around you. I know the decision to get married was while we were both drunk, but this decision I just made it and I'm sober. A little hangovered, but, sober. So, what do you think about all of this?"

Leonard stared at the women in front of him. He didn't know what to do. Breathing in, he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"I love you too." He got out of his mouth, a bit shaken. He was scared of what the future held, but he knew he loved her, so everything was going to be okay.

That night, Sheldon had to go to her hotel room, because Leonard and Penny were busy celebrating their matrimony.

* * *

 **The End**

It's over. I did it. I was thinking of writing more – I had two more chapters but they were a little weird. I decided to take some ideas from those chapters and put them in just one. **If there's something you would like me to add, give me the idea through the review section or PM.**

In case someone doesn't understand the last bit, I assume that Leonard and Sheldon always share a hotel room like we see in Season 4 Episode 13 – that episode where everyone changes rooms.

Hope you all like this, hopefully is not to OOC. When writing I felt the first part a little OOC for Leonard and Penny but since they're drunk, I supposed it could actually happen like I wrote.

'' _til next time!_


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